Starmer speaks to Trump after criticism of U.K.’s response to Iran strikes

Keir Starmer and Donald Trump discuss the U.K.'s response to Iran strikes amid criticism and evolving military cooperation.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has spoken to U.S. President Donald Trump to discuss the situation in West Asia after the U.S. President had been extremely critical of the U.K.’s response to the strikes on Iran.

Mr. Trump took to social media to dismiss Starmer’s plan to send aircraft carriers to the region as an attempt to join wars “already won”.

Downing Street released a readout of the Trump-Starmer call on Sunday (March 8, 2026), seen as an effort to smooth over the so-called U.K.-U.S. “special relationship”.

"The leaders began by discussing the latest situation in the Middle East and the military cooperation between the U.K. and U.S. through the use of RAF [Royal Air Force] bases in support of the collective self-defence of partners in the region," a 10 Downing Street spokesperson said.

"The Prime Minister also shared his heartfelt condolences with President Trump and the American people following the deaths of six U.S. soldiers. They looked forward to speaking again soon," the spokesperson said.

It came after the Ministry of Defence (MoD) confirmed that one of the U.K.'s two aircraft carriers has been placed on advanced readiness, with the crew of HMS Prince of Wales docked in Portsmouth told they must be ready to leave within days.